Millions of people are treated for non-healing or slow healing wounds every year. Chronic wounds may have black necrotic eschar, yellow fibrin, and red granulation tissue. Wound debridement refers to processes involving, but not necessarily limited to, removal of the black necrosis and/or yellow fibrin debris from wounds intersecting the skin. For proper and timely healing, these nonviable layers of tissue must to be removed prior to normal wound care management.
Wound debridement is typically performed by standard surgical resection during which the area is anesthetized and the dead tissue is cut way. Surgery can be expensive and traumatic, and presents risks of infection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,352 discloses debridement of eschar by ablating with a laser.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,368,128 discloses debridement via a controlled release dressing providing for controlled release of enzymes from an adsorbent layer such as knitted polyester gauze.
There is a continuing need for new approaches to wound debridement of chronic wounds such as but not limited to lacerations, diabetic ulcers, bed sores, and burns.